Shirt-waist supporter.



E. M. CUNNINGHAM.

SHIRT WAIST SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1910.

1,127,598. Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Attorneys THE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHUTCI-LITHO.. WASHING rON. D. C

hnrrnn eras EMMA I'L CUNNINGHAM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SHIRT-WAIST SUPPORTER.

Application filed November 8, 1910.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMMA M. CUNNING- HAM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Shirtl VaistSupporter, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted tobe placed about the body of a person, to maintain a shirt waist or likegarment in proper position.

It is the object of this invention to provide a shirt waist supporterwhich may be fashioned at trifling cost, the device being adapted to bereadily placed about the waist of the wearer, to be contracted, and tohave its ends secured against relative movement.

Other objects of the invention are, to improve and to strengthen devicesof this sort, to provide novel means for uniting the constituentelements thereof, and to provide novel means for tightening the deviceabout the waist of the wearer, and for securing the device in itstightened position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the invention in perspective; Fig. 2 isa fragmental perspective showing one end of the body portion of thedevice, the parts being separated, in order that structural details maymore clearly appear; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of one end of theportion of the device; Fig. 4 is a fragmental longitudinal section ofone of the tying ends.

The body portion 1 is a flexible element, adapted to extendsubstantially around the body of the wearer. This body 1 consists of atubular covering 2, and of an auxiliary element which is introduced intothe covering. This auxiliary element is a tubular member 3, adapted tobe folded upon itself, intermediate its ends to form an eye 5. A ring l,preferably flexible and padded, is mounted in the eye 5, the free endsof the tubular member 3 being thrust through the tubular covering 2, sothat the said free ends of the tubular member 3 protrude beyond one endof the covering 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The covering 2 is then retracted slightly, as shown in Fig. 2. One ofthe free ends of the tubular member 3 is then telescoped within theother of said ends, as denoted by the numeral 8, a ring 6, similar tothe ring a being mounted in the eye 7 which is formed by the telescopingof the ends. The telescoped ends may then be secured together bystitching 9 or the like. The tubular cov- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 591,284.

ering 2 is then slid into close proximity with the rings l and 6, inorder that the eyes 5 and 7 may be clearly defined. Rivets 10 or othersecuring elements are then inserted through the sides of theloop-forming tubular member 3, in order to hold the covering 2 againstlongitudinal movement upon the member 3, and likewise to define theextent of the eyes 5 and T. The body portion of the device is thuscompleted by the foregolng operation.

The rings 4 and 6 are united by an independent connection. Thisindependent connection consists of two tubular, flexible strips 11 and12, the strip 12 being slightly longer than the strip 11. Each of thesestrips 11 and 12 is provided at its free end with a tip which is formedbefore the belt parts are assembled, by placing a tubular stiffeningmember 14 about the end of the strip and then turning the strip insideout, to dispose the stiffening member within the strip, as seen in Fig.4. The open ends of the strips 11 and 12 are then telescoped as denotedby the numeral 15, whereupon the strips 11 and 12 may be threadedthrough the ring 4. A rivet 16 or other securing element is extendedthrough the telescoped portions 15 of the elements 11 and 12 andlikewise extended through the element 11, in order to form an eye 25,adapted to engage the ring 4.

lVhen the device is constructed as hereinbefore pointed out, theoperation of the same is as follows: The body 1 is passed about thetrunk of the wearer, to disposethe rings 4: and 6 upon the front of thetrunk. The free ends of the strips 11 and 12 are then passed through thering 6, as denoted by the numeral 17. The free end of the longer strip12 is then passed through the eye 4 as shown at 18, the extremities ofthe strips 11 and 12 being drawn in opposite di rections to tighten thedevice about the waist of the wearer, whereupon the free ends of thesaid strips may be tied together, as shown at 19.

Owing to the fact that the rings 4 and 6 are flexible, the rings, whenthe belt is under tension. will assume an elongated form and pinch thestrips 11 and 12 which are threaded through them, the belt being thusheld temporarily in contracted form about the waist of the wearer.

The rings 4 and 6 may be made of any desired size, or, if desired, ofdifi'erent sizes, the rings however, being of suflicient size,

in any event, to permit the free ends of the tying strips to be passedtherethrough.

By reason of the fact that the tubular member 3 is inclosed within thecovering 2, the body 1 is padded and strengthened, so that it willneither break easily, nor cut unduly into the body of the person who iswearing the device. Moreover, this tubular member 3 serves as a meansfor securing the rings 1 and 6 in place. The tubular structure which iscarried out throughout the de vice, results in an unusually strongconstruction, and, as well, affords a means whereby the end portions ofthe device may be united, to form smooth, durable unions, at all pointswhere such unions are necessary.

The rings a and 5 are preferably fashioned from cord, worked into theform shown, these rings yielding slightly, so as not to be uncomfortableto the wearer. There is no exposed metal in the device, likely to rustfrom perspiration, and to stain the garments of the wearer. The tippedends of the strips 11 and 12 permit the same to be readily insertedthrough the rings a and 6, the said strips 11 and 12 preserving at theirends, as shown in Fig. 4:, a smooth exterior contour.

The device is fashioned from washable material and may readily becleaned when soiled. 'Ihe supporter when properly adjusted, will clingclosely to the garments of the wearer and remain in place withoutslipping.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A belt havingflexible ends provided with openings therethrough; and a pair offlexible members permanently engaged in one opening only.

A belt having rings at its ends, one of which rings is flexible; and apair of flexible members permanently secured to one ring.

3. A belt comprising a cushioned body portion having flexible ends withopenings therethrough; and a pair of flexible members engaged in oneopening only.

1. A belt comprising a narrow cushioned body portion having flexibleends with openings therethrough; and a pair of flexible memberspermanently engaged in one of said openings.

5. In a device of the class described, a cushioned, body-encirclingmember having a flexible opening therethrough; and a single elementconnected therewith and adapted to be threaded through the opening toconstitute at once an adjustable fastening and releasing means.

6. In a device of the class described, a longitudinally inelastic,cushioned, body-encircling member terminally provided with a bodyencircling flexible ring; and a single element connected with said bodymember and adapted to be threaded through the ring to constitute at oncean adjustable fastening and releasing means.

7. In a device of the class described, a cushioned, body-encirclingmember having flexible ends provided with openings therethrough; and aflexible member permanently engaged in one opening only and adapted tobe threaded through both openin s.

Ii. In a device of the class described, a cushioned, body-encirclingmember having rings at its ends, one of which rings is flexible; and aflexible member permanently secured to one ring.

9. In a device of the class described, a padded tubular body-encirclingmember; and rings located at the ends of said bodyencircling member,having a flexible member permanently engaged in one only of said rings.

10. In a device of the class described, a narrow, cushioned,body-encircling member provided at its ends with flexible rings; and apair of flexible members permanently connected with one ring.

11. In a device of the class described, a body-encircling elementcomprising a looped member; a tubular member inclosing the looped memberand defining an eye at one end of the looped member; a flexible ringengaged in the eye; and a flexible element connected with thering.

12. A body encircling element comprising an outer and an inner memberfolded on itself to form loops at the ends thereof; a ring engaged inone of said loops; and fastening means attached to the other of saidloops said fastening means including a flexible member.

13. In a device of the class described, a element comprising a paddedtubular member in combination with means for securing an adjustablefastening between the ends of the said body-encircling member.

1 1. In a device of the class described, a body-encircling elementcomprising alooped member; a tubular member inclosing the looped memberand defining an eye at one end of the looped member; and means connectedtherewith for adjusting and securing the ends of the looped member indesired relationship.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EMMA M. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

ANNA M. DOHRMANN, KATHARINE DOHRMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. G.

